Wavelengths – A novel exhibition on Virginia Woolf

100 years ago Woolf had published her first novel. Today she is considered one of the foremost modernist female writers of the 20th Century, a pioneer of streams of consciousness narrative; her work, themes and concerns remain uncannily relevant to today’s society.

This all female group of nine contemporary artists seek to interpret Woolf’s written work on themes of memory, the passage of time, the corrosion and rejuvenation of life, the status of women in society, the consequences of war and existentialism. The exhibition will include installation work, sculpture, photography, sound and video works.

Woolf was strongly connected to the South East having lived, written and died in East Sussex, close to her sister Vanessa Bell; both part of the Bloomsbury Group. Woolf had associations with Sissinghurst, Knole, Sevenoaks and Rye, to the source of the river Ouse that makes its way from Sheffield Park through Lewes to Rodmell, where Woolf lived for much of her life.

Below are brief statements about the nine artists.

Jane Cordery’s artworks and installations evolve by linking human fragility with environmental and socio-political impacts. Particularly interested in liminal states she examines contemporary dichotomies, such as: connection and disconnect, cohesion and fragmentation, inclusion and marginalisation. Often seeking historical parallels, she acknowledges the importance of memory. A process based artist, she works with a variety of material and methodologies.

Kit Forrest recreates stories from the past, intertwining her own personal experiences. Fascinated by stories that are uncomfortable, ingrained beneath the surface, wound tightly into our subconscious yet affecting our day to day lives, she carefully unpicks them, processing as she makes. Utilising found imagery and material steeped in tradition she gradually allows the subconscious to communicate visually.

Sonia Griffin’s practice explores ideas and materials of our product and fashion based culture and how historic values are attached to these. She uses the traditions of modernism to convey a thought or obsession that she is exploring. This exploration does not aim to end with a message for viewers but seeks to visually convey elements of our world differently.

Rachel Hornsby is drawn to the spirit of folklore, songs and literature that has inspired or captured the imagination of others through the generations. The gift to evoke a texture, object or feeling is what she seeks to capture and make manifest, bringing form to the mental imagery conveyed. Her work takes a variety of forms, often inspired by found objects that connect thought and memory

Frederique Jones‘ is interested in what lies beyond our immediate perception of things and seeks to bring these imperceptible happenings forward. She chooses her materials and methods to fit with the object of her investigation, which is essentially process-led and often characterised by repetition. Her work may combine empirical elements, chance or mathematical algorithms and ranges from small scale, wall-based pieces to larger sculptural installations.

Sam King’s artwork responds to both interior and exterior landscapes, often in combination; an interplay between two worlds. Her focus is drawn to a specific element, place or time which she feels compelled to share, the rest becomes obsolete; a mental process of selection and omission. She works with both physical materials and digital media, resulting in videos and paintings that sit between genres – paintings which are also photographs, videos which are also deliberate interventions.

Lorrain Mailer initiates fragile sculptures and installations where the material often unassuming, ephemeral or transparent subtly draws the viewer through a language of visual association. Her objective is for the viewer to unpick meaning, interpret the work and draw their own conclusions on: contemporary discrepancies, double standards, complacency and values maintained in our society.

Carolyn Morris questions: how our encounters with the physical world are shaped by the objects we use, the ‘rules’ or assumptions we adopt in relation to them – which may be deeply embedded in us, how these come to determine the space we occupy, the seeming passivity of the object waiting to be handled and the change of direction that is suggested through human intervention.

Venetia Nevill is drawn to sensory and experiential work to express an intuitive connection with the world. She is inspired by the rhythms of nature, with its cycles of birth, life, death and renewal. Her ecologically informed installations are homage to this elemental connection and to the notion of transformation and healing through the recycling process.